It's the last day of the year, so you will have to hurry to get those things to the Goodwill in order to get a deduction on your taxes. Oh my, did I just say taxes? Okay, we are moving on. After Christmas one of the first things we want to do is make room for all the new stuff we got. Plus all the stores have shifted gears from buying stuff to organizing your stuff. You know all those plastic boxes, labels and lists, add to that, all the new year's resolutions of getting organized. So what is a person to do?
You can start with the closets. But you can't clean them all out in one day. I know, we all get excited at the prospect of order but you can really burn out pretty quick if you don't pace yourself. Besides, I have done it. I pulled out all the stuff from the closet and drawers, then got tired of trying to decide what to keep or give away. Now the bed was full of clothes and the floor had piles of stuff laying all over it. So I decided from now on not to pull out more than what I can go through and put back in an hour. When you have finished going through everything, you can start a new habit. If you buy a new blouse, when you get home you pull out one and give it away. If you buy a new pair of shoes, you give one pair away. There is a rule of thumb somewhere that says, "If you haven't worn it in six months or a year, chances are you are not going to wear it." So why not let it go and bless someone.
Happy New Year to You all!
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Saturday, December 28, 2013
The Christmas Put Away
After all the time and effort it took to put up the Christmas decorations, it seems to take so much less time to put them away. Maybe we are just in a much bigger hurry to get everything back to normal, since dust does not resist anything, not even a tree or wreaths.
In starting the Christmas put away, this is a good time to look at what got left in the boxes. In the excitement to get the decorations put up we often forget about what is left over.You can check for damaged items and make a list of what needs to be replaced or something you would like to add to your collection. I saw some really cute ideas on Pinterest but there was not time before Christmas to make them. One helpful suggestion, from Pinterest, was to take pictures of your mantles, tables and other decorated areas so you could remember how it all went together.
Even though almost all the stores have had decorations on sale since August, I try to wait to get a few things in the after Christmas mark downs. Especially since the sales percentage goes up to 66%-75% off. I might as well be as thrifty as possible. A lot of people are tired of looking at all the Christmas stuff right now but next year you won't regret the few minutes you spend to be thrifty now.
I hope you had a Merry Christmas and are resolved to have a Thrifty New Year!
In starting the Christmas put away, this is a good time to look at what got left in the boxes. In the excitement to get the decorations put up we often forget about what is left over.You can check for damaged items and make a list of what needs to be replaced or something you would like to add to your collection. I saw some really cute ideas on Pinterest but there was not time before Christmas to make them. One helpful suggestion, from Pinterest, was to take pictures of your mantles, tables and other decorated areas so you could remember how it all went together.
Even though almost all the stores have had decorations on sale since August, I try to wait to get a few things in the after Christmas mark downs. Especially since the sales percentage goes up to 66%-75% off. I might as well be as thrifty as possible. A lot of people are tired of looking at all the Christmas stuff right now but next year you won't regret the few minutes you spend to be thrifty now.
I hope you had a Merry Christmas and are resolved to have a Thrifty New Year!
Saturday, December 21, 2013
Clothes Pin Idea
Since the last post, I have continued thinking about all these Christmas cards we have received. So I came up with an idea to use clothes pins decorated with ribbon or maybe even painted to attach the cards to the tree. Because Christmas is just a few days away I didn't have a lot of time so I went to Michael's and found a package of felt snowmen stickers. They seemed to be the length needed to cover the front of the clothes pin. I am sure there are many other things which would be cute on the clothes pins. I also took the labels off a Starbucks drink bottle and filled it with peppermint M&M's. Here are a few snapshots.
Happy Thrifty Decorating To You All!
Monday, December 16, 2013
Decorating With Christmas Cards
We all get so many beautiful Christmas cards but what do we do with them. It is a shame to throw them away. I have seen baskets made out of them. I have seen them hung on a ribbon or taped on a door frame. There are even groups who ask for your Christmas cards so they can reuse them.
I decided to reuse them myself. For some added flair, I put them in the picture frames I have around the house. It adds a little Christmas cheer to an end table or counter, plus the colors and the words on them are beautiful. Here are some pictures to stir up your creativity.
Let's talk thrifty! This is" zero cost" decorating. You can put new cards in the frames every week if you want to. After Christmas is over, all you have to do is put your other pictures back in the frames.
Happy Christmas Card Thrifty To You!!!
I decided to reuse them myself. For some added flair, I put them in the picture frames I have around the house. It adds a little Christmas cheer to an end table or counter, plus the colors and the words on them are beautiful. Here are some pictures to stir up your creativity.
Let's talk thrifty! This is" zero cost" decorating. You can put new cards in the frames every week if you want to. After Christmas is over, all you have to do is put your other pictures back in the frames.
Happy Christmas Card Thrifty To You!!!
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Thrifty Christmas Ribbon
We all like to give Christmas packages which are beautifully wrapped and tied with pretty ribbon but it can be expensive. Over the years I have received gifts in brown paper bags, in the bag from the store and even gifts wrapped with no ribbon. It might seen silly to spend the money for wrappings and ribbons because after they are opened it all goes in the trash. But pretty paper and ribbon add to this festive time of the year.
Most people go ahead and buy their wrapping paper, ribbon and tags for the next year in the after Christmas sales. But I will tell you a secret place to get some ribbon before Christmas that won't break the bank. Dollar General has really pretty wired edge ribbon for $1.00. I can splurge on ribbon until my heart is content for that kind of money. I snapped a picture so you could see some of the ribbon.
There is still time before Christmas to add some pretty to your packages.
Happy Thrifty Ribbon to All!
Most people go ahead and buy their wrapping paper, ribbon and tags for the next year in the after Christmas sales. But I will tell you a secret place to get some ribbon before Christmas that won't break the bank. Dollar General has really pretty wired edge ribbon for $1.00. I can splurge on ribbon until my heart is content for that kind of money. I snapped a picture so you could see some of the ribbon.
Happy Thrifty Ribbon to All!
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Coupons and Your Pantry
I know what a lot of people say about coupons: "I don't have time to fool with them, I always leave them at home, I forget to cut them out". I have said these things too. But a few years ago I attended a seminar about "couponing and building up your pantry" to save money on the food bill. I was so impressed by this woman's testimony. She was feeding a family of six for $60 a week. Now understand she didn't do this feat the first week, but over several months she built up her pantry and freezer to be able to use what she had on hand.
"On hand", a phrase that has been lost in our microwave world. My grandmother had a big pantry. She was never at a loss to pull something out to prepare a wonderful meal. Before this seminar my pantry had a few cans of odd and end stuff, now it is filled with staples. Again, this did not happen overnight, it just took a little bit of planning on my part.
To start my plan I made a menu for the week, including lunches. Then I made a list of what I had in my pantry and freezer which matched the menu. I then added the things I needed to buy for the meals on that list. I also thought about what I cooked most often and added those items to my list. This may seem like a lot of lists but at least after you come home from the store you won't be saying: "I forgot......, now I can't make that dish." I can't tell you how many times I have done this. All because I thought I would remember what I needed or I thought I knew the ingredients for that recipe. A little up front work has saved me a lot in the end. Now for the coupons.
I get most of my coupons from the Sunday paper. As I go through them, I only pull out what I will use. When I first started I would tear out anything that looked good or one for a new product to try. I quickly realized I was only buying things I had coupons for and a lot of times those products were not food related. Now I am more focused and intentional about those coupons. I look at my list and pull out any coupons which match it. I check out the Publix ads for any buy one get one free items which I need as well as other grocery ads for special sales.
"Bogo" items are one of the ways I use to keep the pantry stocked. If you can allot $5.00- $10.00 of your weekly budget to use for stocking your pantry, you will be surprised at how quickly it will fill up. When you have used the last of an item, it is so nice to reach in the pantry or freezer and pull out another one without a thought.
Most grocery stores double coupons up to $.50. So when I have a $.50 coupon, I see $1.00 off an item I purchase. The old saying"pennies make dollars is true". Living thrifty is still the "in thing" to do.
Happy "Food" Thrifty to You!
"On hand", a phrase that has been lost in our microwave world. My grandmother had a big pantry. She was never at a loss to pull something out to prepare a wonderful meal. Before this seminar my pantry had a few cans of odd and end stuff, now it is filled with staples. Again, this did not happen overnight, it just took a little bit of planning on my part.
To start my plan I made a menu for the week, including lunches. Then I made a list of what I had in my pantry and freezer which matched the menu. I then added the things I needed to buy for the meals on that list. I also thought about what I cooked most often and added those items to my list. This may seem like a lot of lists but at least after you come home from the store you won't be saying: "I forgot......, now I can't make that dish." I can't tell you how many times I have done this. All because I thought I would remember what I needed or I thought I knew the ingredients for that recipe. A little up front work has saved me a lot in the end. Now for the coupons.
I get most of my coupons from the Sunday paper. As I go through them, I only pull out what I will use. When I first started I would tear out anything that looked good or one for a new product to try. I quickly realized I was only buying things I had coupons for and a lot of times those products were not food related. Now I am more focused and intentional about those coupons. I look at my list and pull out any coupons which match it. I check out the Publix ads for any buy one get one free items which I need as well as other grocery ads for special sales.
"Bogo" items are one of the ways I use to keep the pantry stocked. If you can allot $5.00- $10.00 of your weekly budget to use for stocking your pantry, you will be surprised at how quickly it will fill up. When you have used the last of an item, it is so nice to reach in the pantry or freezer and pull out another one without a thought.
Most grocery stores double coupons up to $.50. So when I have a $.50 coupon, I see $1.00 off an item I purchase. The old saying"pennies make dollars is true". Living thrifty is still the "in thing" to do.
Happy "Food" Thrifty to You!
Sunday, December 8, 2013
Thrifty Christmas Tree
About 3 years ago the Christmas tree we decorated for the downstairs died. Artificial trees finally do die. (LOL) We had a taller one we used upstairs in our bonus room but it was skinny. By that I mean in the big room it looked like a pole on a hill. I asked my "thrifty honey" if he thought he could cut the bottom of the skinny tree off so we could use it downstairs. He got out the hack saw and cut off 4 inches of the metal pole. Presto! We had a "new" tree for a few minutes of work. I love my "thrifty honey".
Now onto the tree decorating. To begin, I use several rolls of really pretty ribbon and some deco mesh. I had thought about cutting the ribbon but I was reluctant because once you cut it, you got it. Putting my fear aside, I cut both the ribbon and the mesh into 15" strips. Then I laid one on top of the other and tucked them in the tree. This seemed to make them show up more than just draping the ribbon around the tree. Several years ago I bought some large Christmas floral picks to use for the topper. These make the tree look like it bloomed on top. After adding the ornaments, I stand on a chair and sprinkle a couple of bags of snow all over the tree. This just really adds dimension to it. Here is our thrifty Christmas tree.
Happy Thriftying To All!
Now onto the tree decorating. To begin, I use several rolls of really pretty ribbon and some deco mesh. I had thought about cutting the ribbon but I was reluctant because once you cut it, you got it. Putting my fear aside, I cut both the ribbon and the mesh into 15" strips. Then I laid one on top of the other and tucked them in the tree. This seemed to make them show up more than just draping the ribbon around the tree. Several years ago I bought some large Christmas floral picks to use for the topper. These make the tree look like it bloomed on top. After adding the ornaments, I stand on a chair and sprinkle a couple of bags of snow all over the tree. This just really adds dimension to it. Here is our thrifty Christmas tree.
Happy Thriftying To All!
Friday, December 6, 2013
Christmas Thrifty
Since early July, the new Christmas decorations have been on display at one of my favorite stores. You all know the routine. It's hot and we are ready for a change. As I wandered through the store looking at the ribbons and colorful ornaments, I started thinking about what I could put together to get that "new look". Those new colors with the cute designs did not go with my old stuff.
By the way the old stuff was the latest and greatest a few years ago, when I bought it because I just had to have it. That old story, "Keep up with who?" Now days I have resolved to be thrifty. As I left the store I thought, why not challenge yourself to use what you have in a new way? Let's get those creative juices flowing.Who says the stores are the only ones with the best designers?
Design I did! I shopped the house for things to mix in to make the "new" Christmas decor. Here are some pictures of the dining room.
The table is covered with a white cloth accented with some red place mats. The gold chargers hold plastic red striped plates from the Dollar store topped with smaller word plates from Walmart. The little ceramic soldiers on the edge of the chargers came from a yard sale. The glasses are my favorites, a Pier One buy many years ago. The greenery is old stuff I cut up and arranged with ice branches from a tree that fell apart.(You can reuse anything). The candle holder is an after Christmas deal from Kohls. I filled it with a candle and jingle bells, 90% off at Big Lots. I found the leopard ribbon in the bottom of the decoration box. I thought it added some pizazz. The buffet has the yard sale Santa on a book with some greenery around it. The white tray with the stemware and napkins tied with leopard ribbon is one of the newest creations. I added some old gold apples to fill in the space on the tray. Even though I wanted all the beautiful new brown and copper decorations for the dining room, I am really very pleased with this thrifty design.
Merry Thrifty to You!
By the way the old stuff was the latest and greatest a few years ago, when I bought it because I just had to have it. That old story, "Keep up with who?" Now days I have resolved to be thrifty. As I left the store I thought, why not challenge yourself to use what you have in a new way? Let's get those creative juices flowing.Who says the stores are the only ones with the best designers?
Design I did! I shopped the house for things to mix in to make the "new" Christmas decor. Here are some pictures of the dining room.
Merry Thrifty to You!
Sunday, December 1, 2013
Freezer Queen
I have some friends who are freezer queens. For years they have tried to encourage me to freeze things. Leftovers, lunch meat and bread just being a few of their suggestions. But as for me, I based most my freezer opinions on the bread with freezer burn on it. I decided after a few bread disasters, there would be nothing in my freezer but things from the grocery store.
But then, both my friends and I received a country ham for Christmas. I was overwhelmed. Just the thought of eating ham for a month or two, so it would not be wasted, was more than I could bear. I sheepishly asked what they were doing with their ham? You guessed it. Freeze it. After I recovered from the initial shock, I asked:" Does that really work and how do you keep it from getting freezer burn?"
My freezer queen friends jumped at the opportunity to train me in proper freezer procedure. I can laugh about it now, but at the time I was so reluctant to try something which now makes my "Thrifty Sissy" heart sing. Yes, my name has been added to the freezer queen roll. I stand amazed at my creativity in the freezer department.
My freezer creativity peaked last November when I took down my fall decorations. I buy at least three bags of candy corn to use in the bottom of the candle holders. As I was taking the candle out, I thought, I wonder if I could freeze this candy for next fall. After all no one eats it. It is just for looks. Really, what did I have to loose? If it didn't work, I could throw it out which was the usual process. But if it did work, I just saved several dollars. My next experiment was to freeze the candy canes I used to decorate the Christmas tree.
Here are the freezer results: The candy corn was as if it just came from the store; Candy canes were OK, but seem to break a little more easily, but they were still usable. I don't know if the candy canes will last for another season but the candy corn is back in the freezer for next fall.
Even though I am a new believer in the benefits of maximizing the freezer, I want to testify to you. It works and is well worth what little time and effort it takes. When panic strikes about what to fix for dinner, I can open the freezer and pull out some delicious leftover without having to make the meal from scratch. If you have not tried it, don't wait any longer. You can be a freezer queen too.
Happy Thrifty Freezing to All!
But then, both my friends and I received a country ham for Christmas. I was overwhelmed. Just the thought of eating ham for a month or two, so it would not be wasted, was more than I could bear. I sheepishly asked what they were doing with their ham? You guessed it. Freeze it. After I recovered from the initial shock, I asked:" Does that really work and how do you keep it from getting freezer burn?"
My freezer queen friends jumped at the opportunity to train me in proper freezer procedure. I can laugh about it now, but at the time I was so reluctant to try something which now makes my "Thrifty Sissy" heart sing. Yes, my name has been added to the freezer queen roll. I stand amazed at my creativity in the freezer department.
My freezer creativity peaked last November when I took down my fall decorations. I buy at least three bags of candy corn to use in the bottom of the candle holders. As I was taking the candle out, I thought, I wonder if I could freeze this candy for next fall. After all no one eats it. It is just for looks. Really, what did I have to loose? If it didn't work, I could throw it out which was the usual process. But if it did work, I just saved several dollars. My next experiment was to freeze the candy canes I used to decorate the Christmas tree.
Here are the freezer results: The candy corn was as if it just came from the store; Candy canes were OK, but seem to break a little more easily, but they were still usable. I don't know if the candy canes will last for another season but the candy corn is back in the freezer for next fall.
Even though I am a new believer in the benefits of maximizing the freezer, I want to testify to you. It works and is well worth what little time and effort it takes. When panic strikes about what to fix for dinner, I can open the freezer and pull out some delicious leftover without having to make the meal from scratch. If you have not tried it, don't wait any longer. You can be a freezer queen too.
Happy Thrifty Freezing to All!
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